


The Proelium  and Duellum  (and the story of Afa’te)

by esperance



Category: None - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Lots of aliens - Freeform, Original Character(s), very alternate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 17:08:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8454760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esperance/pseuds/esperance
Summary: Short thing as I try to kick up ideas for more original stories// ;v; Critiques welcome (and as I have no one to act as a beta-reader I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes. vuv"" Will add pictures @ some point.//A few millennia ago, out of the primal swamps of Afa’te emerged the first creatures to roam the land, some spread out- looking for food and companionship amongst their fellows, others, (smart creatures, for the  beasts of the murky ocean-swamp’s depths are thought to be some of the few to live now.), returned to the quagmire; the last ones though, rose from the depths looking to conquer.That is what the Lacerta’ve tell us.The truth of it, however, is far more complex.//Might expand into larger stories at some point.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Uh my first time writing something for AO3, and one of my only finished attempts at writing a (short) original story, so I hope you enjoy...? ;w;

A few millennia ago, out of the primal swamps of Afa’te emerged the first creatures to roam the land, some spread out- looking for food and companionship amongst their fellows, others, ( _smart creatures, for the  beasts of the murky ocean-swamp’s depths are thought to be some of the few to live now.),_ returned to the quagmire; the last ones though, rose from the depths looking to _conquer._

That is what the Lacerta’ve tell us.

The truth of it, however, is far more complex.

The two races evolved much as any others on neighbouring planets, starting off as mere animals, and only over thousands of years evolving to gain sapience and emotion as we know it, one of these emotions was _envy_.

The Proelium and Duellum, though at first inhabiting areas on opposing sides of the marshy world, evolved at much the same time- from beasts into tribes folk to primitive rulers and dwellers of cities, these cities began to evolve into vast empires- for few others had yet progressed to a stage where they could feel any _empathy_ for the dwellers of the habitats and homes they destroyed.

It took another hundred years for them to meet, though twas not to be a good one.

The Proelium found a group of Duellum, far from home in an exploration mission, within the borders- and what a… _fortuitous_ day to find them; the Emperor of the scaled species had, on that day, been celebrated nearby in a garish parade, and was invited to see these intruders, the stories say as soon as he laid his eyes upon the pretty bird like race he was filled with bitter envy, for beauty, which (from what few examples he had seen) all the genus seemed to possess- had been one thing he had failed to achieve in his long reign. After this he supposedly called their quick execution following an attempt at gaining information (in which they realised the tongue they spoke was none they knew).

////

Soon the Queen of the Duellum was given the report; a patrol of her soldiers were missing- seemingly vanished on the edge of a river she had sent them to patrol whilst waiting for miners to arrive in the area.

She, of course, reacted with shock- the world had seemed barren of life capable of such a feat save her own, mighty, race- all of whom were fairly happy under her rule. At first she looked into any Duellum capable of such an act, and though outside her own, small, military ranks there were few, she discreetly made sure there were _none._

After the disappearances repeated with all normal groups she sent she realised, with no small degree of shock, that the attacks could not come from within her kingdom. After this realisation she, with all her elite, ventured to the place under the guise of some of her former soldiers, though _unlike_ them they made sure they were armed to the teeth, this was more than a simple patrol mission any more.

They lingered around the routes her soldiers had patrolled for only a few long hours when the Proelium made their appearance, the king at the back of his soldiers ranks, eyes glimmering with unadulterated (and unearned) hatred as he hissed out orders.

The Queen crowed in surprise as the reptilians appeared before them, hesitating a only moment before beginning to desperately crow out orders, they were outnumbered and the  Proelium had skin to rival their best armour, and the Duellum had never faced an opponent who could so easily tear through their ranks, and as her most capable attackers fell at the Proelium’s claw like blades she squawked out a hasty retreat, feathers ruffled with fear and amber like eyes glazed with discontent and rage.

Though some of her remaining elite stood and fought she fled the field with as many as she could, the Emperors eyes still boring into her back as she made her flight.

///

Months passed and she sent no new troops beyond scouts, few of whom, despite their preparation, returned unharmed.

For the most part the Queen had recovered… Physically- that is. But since her return to  court her actions had become less rational, half of a noble family culled in a paranoia-fuelled rage; she had spoken to few of the ‘scaled people’ (most of whom who simply assumed her mad, it was not too uncommon amongst the vain race-  and commoner still amongst the royalty, who were renowned for their gradual mental deterioration, though until the time the wise ruler had been thought an exception. And later she banished from her sight all of those who had been there when she first laid her eyes on them.

Over the course of the next five years she almost totally vanished from the public eye, and rumours began to spring forth that she was amassing an army to rival that of even the maddest of their former rulers; hundreds upon thousands of Duellum, armed to the teeth and given rough adornments made more for combat than aesthetic- a rarity among most of the bird like race.

Ten  years passed and finally the almost forgotten queen called an assembly of all her citizens, they, many curious as to what she wishes to tell them after so long, all appear as told. She is said to have stumbled  onto the stage, one eye wildly searching the crowd as the other stares emptily into space, blind and marred by a scar from the little-known battle a decade before. Shocked into silence the massive crowd wait for her to speak with baited breath.

She stumbled over her words, voice almost childlike and filled with an eerie glee. _“My glorious citizens, I your b-eautiful Queen Pa-vus, have returned to you to tell you-y-ou, of my most recent accomplishment regarding my magnificent army-“_

Confused murmurs arose at this, there had been rumours of such a thing- but most had vehemently refused to believe them, before they could continue along this train of thought the creature who appeared to be their queen hissed them to “ _-BE SILENT..!”_

After the muttering died down sufficiently she continued to speak, gesturing wildly as she did so.

“ _As I was saying my dears, (until you so rudely interrupted me, that is), I recently sent out a talented spy of mine, and he returned with some vital information, the location of our greatest enemies capital has been located, and as soon as our ranks our sufficiently filled we can launch the assault on he who harmed your p—urr-ecious queen, me!”_

_Confusion and fear began to permeate the air; ‘what enemy, what army?’- they had been told nothing over the past decade, and it now appeared that their noble ruler was quite mad._

_“I will be opening recruitment centres on all main roads- and any of an age to duel will be required by LAW to sign up. If not…”  
Her voice cracked and she turned and fluttered back into a gilded carriage, leaving them wondering what she had been going to say._

In the end more simply vanished, seemingly for not signing up, than those who followed through with rulers orders.

Her plan commenced all the same.

//

Two years later, the queen’s forces marched through the mute city, armour and weaponry never seen before carried upon large moving platforms, and the recruits barely glancing to the remaining citizens as they left.

Two months later the army returned, a madly grinning recruit grasping the head of the Emperor between his bloodied beak, and dropping it at the rulers feet. Celebrations were held, and though the populace had no idea _why_ the scaled man had to be killed, life had largely returned to normal as the recruit faded back into anonymity

Two weeks later the queen herself was found dead, deep jagged red marks almost splitting her chest.

Two days later the ‘recruit’ took the throne.

//Fast forward several hundred years//

**_Duellum Squadron Leader | Solis Pavo | Twentieth year of Tenebris Tiro| Twelfth Lun_ **

_How did this happen..??_

_Its been twenty years since that damnable brat took the throne- I heard Lumen had been organising a treaty- save us while we still can- little chance of that happenin’ now.. Twelve years since the conscription and more’n half of us are **dead** (parts of the paper have been torn, and a few careful illustrations of bird like faces are hastily scribbled out), I don’t see how we can last- I ‘eard rumours round the capital that they have a plan to win the war- I certainly hope so.. I don’t want to die now- not fighting a war that we can barely even remember the cause of. Damn the Proelium, and damn us, and damn whoever started this fucking war._

_//_

**_Mourner | Solis Pavo | Twenty-First year of Tenebris Tiro | First Lun_ **

_Oh gods ohh gods oh g o d s! !_

_I said I wanted a plan but not **THIS!**_

_A nuclear bomb, is the man a fool??-He KNOWS that they have em too- HE KNOWS// Is he **trying**_   _to get us all killed?? I mean- I wouldn’t be surprised- especially as I’m suuuure he has a nice cosy little bunker somewhere, unlike us ‘soldiers’._

_I have spent all my life trying to serve this country- and It seems I’m just gonna be left to die or mutate in a frozen wasteland, I’ve got to go contact some people, to try to do **something**!! We can’t all die here. We won’t._

_This may be my last entry- to any radiation twisted freaks out there, please at least leave this intact. Anyone seeing this needs to learn from our mistakes._

_//_

**_Rogue | Solis Pavo |First year of The End | Third Lun_ **

_He’s dead.._

_I can’t believe it- I knew Furcifer had **something** planned, but **T H I S ? ? ! !**_

_It’s treason I’m a criminal, hooooly shit- I can’t?? Thirty years in the royalmilitary and I killed the goddamn KING!_

_I need to stop writing so much- this bunker_   ** _may_** _be fit for a ruler, and we may have gotten our own supplies that we can collect when this storm breaks (at the side someone has sceptically scrawled, ‘if it breaks’, in a wiry hand)- but we managed to save about 97 or somethin’// I can’t believe they all fit in here, but then again, he was always a spoilt brat._

_//_

**_Servant/Specimen/??? | Solis Pavo | Fifth year of The End/First Year of a New Beginning | I..’m not sure.. The moons seem different._ **

_Our numbers were halved by half a decade in The End… But we’ve done it- I always hoped someone would help, but no one even knew we existed!  
Then, they arrived, and holy King I’m grateful! It happened a few days ago but I haven’t had any time to write- they seem to be a scientific race- (better than a military!)- and I’ve spent half my time here being tested and prodded with some weird technical lookin’ stuff (Hey- I’m a soldier- not one of our mechanics or somethin’). _

_I think I might’ve seen some Proelium in another lab earlier?? I hope they don’t think I still follow **him**._

_Ah! One of the things is poking me, got to go for now- I’ll write another log later! **//fin**_

**Author's Note:**

> D o n e ~ c:  
> I hope you enjoyed it for the most part, feel free to critique, and put which story thing /you/ would like to see continued/extended below~VUV ((Solis Pavo or The Queen+Emperor+Beginning of War thing ;w;


End file.
